Military spending reached a record in 2025. New data published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) stated that global defence spending was nearly $2.9 trillion last year. This was a three per cent rise compared to 2024. Spending has now gone up for eleven years in a row. Europe's defence spending increased by 14 per cent, to $864 billion. The Asia-Oceania region increased its spending by 8.1 per cent, to $681 billion. The USA is the biggest spender. It spent $954 billion on its military last year.

There are several reasons for the record levels of spending. One reason is that NATO members met their target to spend two per cent of their GDP on defence. Another reason is the war between Russia and Ukraine. This is now in its fifth year. Russia spent around $190 billion on defence. This was 7.5 per cent of its GDP. Ukraine spent 40 per cent of its GDP on the war. SIPRI said that the increased spending shows how countries are reacting to today's wars. It added: "This trend will probably continue through 2026 and beyond."